Hepatitus B symptoms

[johnnycage]

Weeks 1-3 : tiredness, pain lymph node armpits only,
Weeks 4-5: metallic taste, abdominal pain, pain in hands/fingertips and sometimes feets, body aches on joints. No yellow eyes according to doctor.

Going to get a Hep B test, with liver tests. Question is if it comes out positive, what is the likelyhood that I my body will naturally eliminate the virus?

What diet should I take to help combat and prevent not entering chronic stage?
For acute hep (first 6months) is there no cure? if so what do you recommend to help the body combat. I assume being anxious/stressed hinders your immune system.

If you're body does naturally fight off hep-B, does that still mean that you are not a candidate to ever give blood?

Anyone that previously had hep-b , did you have body aches / hand pains?

[mremeet]

There's about a 90% likelihood you'll clear the virus on your own if you are infected. I don't know of any diet that will make it less likely to become chronically infected (other than a healthy diet). However, for hep C if one were to take interferon shots and ribavirin pills for several weeks or months while still in the scute phase, it greatly reduces the chances that the acute patient will go on to become chronically infected. Not sure if it works the same way with hep B, but it probably would (especially considering about 80% of those exposed to hep C go on to become chronically infected).

You also ask about why an vaccination won't work if you're already infected: It won't work because the virus has already gotten a foothold and is already established in your body. The vaccine causes your body to produce a certain amount of hep B antibodies, which basically gives you a security system that detects and attacks the virus when it first enters your body...when it is at its weakest and is much more easily eradicated. Without the vaccine antibodies, the virus can replicate and get a foothold before the immune system mounts a decent offense to its presence.

And I'm almost certain once you test + for HBV antibodies you cannot donate blood anymore (HCV antibody + definitely). Hope you're feeling better soon and test negative on your hep B test.

[mremeet]

By the way I'm not a doctor, there are only patients here (usually). So obviously have yourself checked out by a good liver doctor.  take care